What irritates me the most about this study, is how many people and politicians scream and gnash their teeth over the idea of insurance paid and free birth control. These are also some of the biggest anti-Abortion advocates, I just don't get it. If you want to cut the number of abortions, make it easier to access contraceptives (and obviously education).

But no, expect other people to be celibate to protect your fragile sensibilities.

This isn't rocket science, but you'd think it was the way the religious right goes on about it.

The problem is they think sex should only be for the purpose of reproduction, with the only "moral" method of birth control being abstinence. To some the use of contraceptives effectively is abortion. (by stopping a new life from ever being formed)

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What irritates me the most about this study, is how many people and politicians scream and gnash their teeth over the idea of insurance paid and free birth control. These are also some of the biggest anti-Abortion advocates, I just don't get it. If you want to cut the number of abortions, make it easier to access contraceptives (and obviously education).

See below. Every sperm is sacred.

Quote:

Originally Posted by APlotdevice

The problem is they think sex should only be or the purpose of reproduction, with the only "moral" method of birth control being abstinence. To some the use of contraceptives effectively is abortion. (by stopping a new life from ever being formed)

They rely on the rhythm method/abstinence because they know it doesn't work.

Have to keep that pyramid growing from the base, or the 'church' (pick one) will perish.

Big Business wouldn't fare so well either, and by extension the 1%'ers/shareholders.

What irritates me the most about this study, is how many people and politicians scream and gnash their teeth over the idea of insurance paid and free birth control. These are also some of the biggest anti-Abortion advocates, I just don't get it. If you want to cut the number of abortions, make it easier to access contraceptives (and obviously education).

But no, expect other people to be celibate to protect your fragile sensibilities.

Thanks for posting this. Interesting, but not at all surprising.

Of course the debate on contraception should have been put to bed a long, long time ago, as the arguments in favour of allowing women to control their own fertility by ensuring easy access to affordable, reliable and safe methods of birth control are so strong (and are not confined to the obvious social, economic, health, and educational, ones.)

But this is not about the provision of abortion, or even about access to contraception; it is much more fundamental than that, as it is all about control, the control of (and secret fear of) sexually active women.

The casually contemptuous vocabulary used about sexually active women (tramp, slut, filthy, sinful, and many, many more, almost all insulting and a good many of which will not pass the profanity filter) as opposed to the vaguely admiring tone and language used when describing sexually active (heterosexual) men (player, romeo, lad) tells a story.

So, too, does the vehemence of the debate about the provision of female education (and consequent economic and social empowerment) in some societies. Access to reliable birth control (free of cultural constraints, societal sanctions and religious disapproval) is a step (a hugely significant step) in enabling women to take control of their own lives.

I never cease to be appalled (appalled, but no longer amazed) at how much energy, commitment (not to mention carefully constructed doctrine) so many of the world's great religions put into attempts to circumscribe, describe, deride and - above all - control female sexuality, all buttressed by what they say is divinely ordained doctrine, and thus, divinely ordained sanctions for behaviour seen as doctrinally deviant.

And access to reliable birth control - for the first time in recorded history - allows women to be sexually active without having to fear the consequences (social, economic, physical) of unintended and unwanted pregnancy. Thus, women were freed from visibly having to 'pay for their sins' if they engaged in (uncontrolled) sexual activity.

Witness the ghastly unity of Islam and the Catholic Church on this issue, when disgracefully, they joined forces a few years ago in seeking to prevent the UN from funding access to birth control as part of international aid health programmes (not least as a result of the spread of AIDs) in the Third World.

Would that they would spend but a small fraction of their godly energies on addressing the world's other problems.

The casually contemptuous vocabulary used about sexually active women (tramp, slut, filthy, sinful, and many, many more, almost all insulting and a good many of which will not pass the profanity filter) as opposed to the vaguely admiring tone and language used when describing sexually active (heterosexual) men (player, romeo, lad) tells a story.

So, too, does the vehemence of the debate about the provision of female education (and consequent economic and social empowerment) in some societies. Access to reliable birth control (free of cultural constraints, societal sanctions and religious disapproval) is a step (a hugely significant step) in enabling women to take control of their own lives.

I never cease to be appalled (appalled, but no longer amazed) at how much energy, commitment (not to mention carefully constructed doctrine) so many of the world's great religions put into attempts to circumscribe, describe, deride and - above all - control female sexuality, all buttressed by what they say is divinely ordained doctrine, and thus, divinely ordained sanctions for behaviour seen as doctrinally deviant.

And access to reliable birth control - for the first time in recorded history - allows women to be sexually active without having to fear the consequences (social, economic, physical) of unintended and unwanted pregnancy. Thus, women were freed from visibly having to 'pay for their sins' if they engaged in (uncontrolled) sexual activity.

Witness the ghastly unity of Islam and the Catholic Church on this issue, when disgracefully, they joined forces a few years ago in seeking to prevent the UN from funding access to birth control as part of international aid health programmes (not least as a result of the spread of AIDs) in the Third World.

Would that they would spend but a small fraction of their godly energies on addressing the world's other problems.

Hummmm... Every single drug store, grocery store even a lot of gas stations have birth control. So there is plenty of access for it.

I went to Catholic school 1st thru high school and never had a problem stopping by the drug store and picking up some condoms.

Easy and affordable DOES NOT always have to mean "free". Let's face it - this isn't about money - it's about not wanting women to make their own choices. Planned Parenthood is an excellent example. 2% of what they do are abortions - yet funding has been denied - making it even harder for those who really need affordable birth control to obtain it.

Hummmm... Every single drug store, grocery store even a lot of gas stations have birth control. So there is plenty of access for it.

I went to Catholic school 1st thru high school and never had a problem stopping by the drug store and picking up some condoms.

Oh wait you guys want FREE stuff.

I'm not from the US and nor do I live there. Do not assume that everyone who posts here enjoys the rights enjoyed by some (not all) across parts of the US.

However, I am from a country where birth control - of all sorts - was illegal until 1985 and only legal under limited conditions for a while after that. Abortion is still illegal in my country, as a recent explosive situation made all too clear when a pregnant woman died because she was refused a termination. Divorce only became legal when the constitutional prohibition was repealed on the second attempt (by a margin of less than 1%) in 1995. Married women ceased to be their husbands' property (the legal term was 'chattel') in 1986. The law outlawing homosexual acts was only repealed in 1994.

Almost all of this nonsense was inspired by the stranglehold which the Catholic Church had on social policy in the State, a stranglehold which has only recently been reduced. This was a relatively modern European country, but one where Catholic influence was extraordinarily pervasive in the fields of health, education, and anything to do with the perceived role of women.

In Europe, Ireland was not alone in having such traditions and laws; Italy, Spain and Portugal also emerged from a similar Catholic cultural and social and political environment; the difference was that they emerged, on average, a decade or two earlier than Ireland.

I have lived through all of this, and I have never forgotten the conditions under which women, especially, had to struggle in order to gain the rights that adult heterosexual male citizens were accorded as a matter of course.

Since then, I have worked in many countries in the former Second World, and also, in parts of the Third World as a political analyst. In some of these countries, attitudes towards women are deplorable, and the rights enjoyed by women, exceedingly conditional and rather limited. In many cases, conservatives, usually religious, are actively seeking to undermine or eliminate whatever rights (especially reproductive) women may have gained under secular, or communist, regimes.

As a woman, I regard the provision of ready access to affordable, reliable birth control as a fundamental - and inalienable - human right.

Easy and affordable DOES NOT always have to mean "free". Let's face it - this isn't about money - it's about not wanting women to make their own choices. Planned Parenthood is an excellent example. 2% of what they do are abortions - yet funding has been denied - making it even harder for those who really need affordable birth control to obtain it.

If they want control over their own body that is fine, but they should pay for it like everyone else. I don't expect the government to buy my condoms for me.

They can make their own choice by getting a job to pay for their birth control and/or abortions.

Let me just express how ecstatic i am that this country is finally seeing the light and leaning to the logical side of social issues. The GOP is completely screwed if they don't kick out all the Christian crazies for 2016. America is not eating their conservative religious BS anymore. I don't even understand why birth control is in question for them, the only ones making an issue out of it is the GOP.

If they want control over their own body that is fine, but they should pay for it like everyone else. I don't expect the government to buy my condoms for me.

They can make their own choice by getting a job to pay for their birth control and/or abortions.

Why are you assuming that everyone wants FREE birth control? Asking for affordable and accessible birth control is not the same thing as asking for handouts. It's also not as easy for women to just drop into Walgreens and grab something like men can.

Again, I use Planned Parenthood as an example. They don't hand out birth control and/or abortions for free. And the fact that people who assume such things participate in discussions like these amuse me.

If this was about money, why cut funding to Planned Parenthood? Limit access to affordable care and birth control will only result in more unplanned pregnancies - which will only result in more aid for such families.

It's completely ignorant to assume that any of these actions toward eliminating abortion / inexpensive birth control has anything to with money.

Why are you assuming that everyone wants FREE birth control? Asking for affordable and accessible birth control is not the same thing as asking for handouts. It's also not as easy for women to just drop into Walgreens and grab something like men can.

Again, I use Planned Parenthood as an example. They don't hand out birth control and/or abortions for free. And the fact that people who assume such things participate in discussions like these amuse me.

If this was about money, why cut funding to Planned Parenthood? Limit access to affordable care and birth control will only result in more unplanned pregnancies - which will only result in more aid for such families.

It's completely ignorant to assume that any of these actions toward eliminating abortion / inexpensive birth control has anything to with money.

Girls/women have been easily able to get birth control since I was 16, nearly every girl I knew in high school was on it, has something drastically been altered in the US since I left? Are doctors denying patients birth control pills when they ask for them and/or are pharmacies turning away prescriptions when they bring them in? I don't think so.

They cut planned parenthood funding because tax payers don't want to pay for someone else's lack of foresight. I shouldn't have to pay for your abortion. Its not about money at all in the grand scheme of things, its about principles and personal responsibility. Women say they want to control their own body, as far as I can see they have it. Go buy your prescriptions like the rest of us.

In monetary terms its just as easy for women to grab a box of condoms as men, and they both have the same amount of risk involved. A guy doesn't get to skate away if he has a kid, and a woman can refuse to have sex if the guy doesn't wear a condom.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by likemyorbs

Let me just express how ecstatic i am that this country is finally seeing the light and leaning to the logical side of social issues. The GOP is completely screwed if they don't kick out all the Christian crazies for 2016. America is not eating their conservative religious BS anymore. I don't even understand why birth control is in question for them, the only ones making an issue out of it is the GOP.

Birth control really isn't an issue at all, it's who is funding it. Personally I think the person who is having sex and/or abortions should be paying for their own. Im about as far away from a Christian as they come.

Girls/women have been easily able to get birth control since I was 16, nearly every girl I knew in high school was on it, has something drastically been altered in the US since I left? Are doctors denying patients birth control pills when they ask for them and/or are pharmacies turning away prescriptions when they bring them in? I don't think so.

They cut planned parenthood funding because tax payers don't want to pay for someone else's lack of foresight. I shouldn't have to pay for your abortion. Its not about money at all in the grand scheme of things, its about principles and personal responsibility. Women say they want to control their own body, as far as I can see they have it. Go buy your prescriptions like the rest of us.

In monetary terms its just as easy for women to grab a box of condoms as men, and they both have the same amount of risk involved. A guy doesn't get to skate away if he has a kid, and a woman can refuse to have sex if the guy doesn't wear a condom.

Of course you already know that abortions represent about 2% of what PP does and that federal funds can not be used for abortions for 2+ decades now. So why defund them?

They cut planned parenthood funding because tax payers don't want to pay for someone else's lack of foresight. I shouldn't have to pay for your abortion.

That's great and all but abortions are just a tiny portion of what planned parenthood does. They also provide counseling, HIV screenings, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, etc. Abortions represent about 3% of the work that they do [from their annual report].

That's great and all but abortions are just a tiny portion of what planned parenthood does. They also provide counseling, HIV screenings, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, etc. Abortions represent about 3% of the work that they do [from their annual report].

edit- damnit rdowns beat me

Girls/women have been easily able to get counseling, HIV screenings, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment since I was 16, nearly every girl I knew in high school was on it, has something drastically been altered in the US since I left? Are doctors denying patients counseling, HIV screenings, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment when they ask for them and/or are pharmacies turning away prescriptions when they bring them in? I don't think so.

Of course you already know that abortions represent about 2% of what PP does and that federal funds can not be used for abortions for 2+ decades now. So why defund them?

When you give an organization money they can say that it is not being used for abortions, but in reality that money allows them to reallocate resources to abortion services that they may not have been able to before.

If they really wanted to be honest about it they would start a separate company and have it only provide abortions. If they can succeed without federal funding or the parent corporation investing then more power to them.

Again I must say that I am pro-abortion, I could really give a **** less as long as I don't pay for it.

Girls/women have been easily able to get birth control since I was 16, nearly every girl I knew in high school was on it, has something drastically been altered in the US since I left? Are doctors denying patients birth control pills when they ask for them and/or are pharmacies turning away prescriptions when they bring them in? I don't think so.

They cut planned parenthood funding because tax payers don't want to pay for someone else's lack of foresight. I shouldn't have to pay for your abortion. Its not about money at all in the grand scheme of things, its about principles and personal responsibility. Women say they want to control their own body, as far as I can see they have it. Go buy your prescriptions like the rest of us.

In monetary terms its just as easy for women to grab a box of condoms as men, and they both have the same amount of risk involved. A guy doesn't get to skate away if he has a kid, and a woman can refuse to have sex if the guy doesn't wear a condom.

2% of what Planned Parenthood does is abortions. So, that is NOT why they cut funding. It's what they would like for people like you to believe. It's not available at most offices. So, instead you are preventing easy and affordable access to birth control - which will, DUH, lead to more abortions. It makes no logical sense.

Where was "every girl you knew in high school" getting their birth control from? I'm sure every. single. one. was accompanied my their mom and dad to their OBGYN - and their mom and dad were happy to pay for both the doctor's visit and the prescripton. I'm from Long Island and with the girls I know who were on it, it wasn't the money, it was ease. And guess where they went? Planned Parenthood.

I love how men think the easy solution is for women to buy condoms.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Zombie Acorn

Again I must say that I am pro-abortion, I could really give a **** less as long as I don't pay for it.

So, instead you would rather pay for the results of a woman not being able to get an abortion/birth control? I assure you we are paying much for the unplanned children than we are to prevent them.

It just doesn't make sense. And the fact that people think it does amazes me.

2% of what Planned Parenthood does is abortions. So, that is NOT why they cut funding. It's what they would like for people like you to believe. It's not available at most offices. So, instead you are preventing easy and affordable access to birth control - which will, DUH, lead to more abortions. It makes no logical sense.

Where was "every girl you knew in high school" getting their birth control from? I'm sure every. single. one. was accompanied my their mom and dad to their OBGYN - and their mom and dad were happy to pay for both the doctor's visit and the prescripton. I'm from Long Island and with the girls I know who were on it, it wasn't the money, it was ease. And guess where they went? Planned Parenthood.

I love how men think the easy solution is for women to buy condoms.

From their doctor/pharmacist. You are acting like you have to run the gauntlet to get this stuff. Its a simple visit to the doctor, pick up the phone, call, make an appointment. We didn't have planned parenthood in rural Kansas, if its easily accessible there, then its easily accessible everywhere.

Why are you assuming that everyone wants FREE birth control? Asking for affordable and accessible birth control is not the same thing as asking for handouts. It's also not as easy for women to just drop into Walgreens and grab something like men can.

Again, I use Planned Parenthood as an example. They don't hand out birth control and/or abortions for free. And the fact that people who assume such things participate in discussions like these amuse me.

If this was about money, why cut funding to Planned Parenthood? Limit access to affordable care and birth control will only result in more unplanned pregnancies - which will only result in more aid for such families.

It's completely ignorant to assume that any of these actions toward eliminating abortion / inexpensive birth control has anything to with money.

Bravo. Well said (and I've taken the liberty of bolding what I think is the most important sentence you have written).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moyank24

2% of what Planned Parenthood does is abortions. So, that is NOT why they cut funding. It's what they would like for people like you to believe. It's not available at most offices. So, instead you are preventing easy and affordable access to birth control - which will, DUH, lead to more abortions. It makes no logical sense.

Where was "every girl you knew in high school" getting their birth control from? I'm sure every. single. one. was accompanied my their mom and dad to their OBGYN - and their mom and dad were happy to pay for both the doctor's visit and the prescripton. I'm from Long Island and with the girls I know who were on it, it wasn't the money, it was ease. And guess where they went? Planned Parenthood.

I love how men think the easy solution is for women to buy condoms.

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So, instead you would rather pay for the results of a woman not being able to get an abortion/birth control? I assure you we are paying much for the unplanned children than we are to prevent them.

It just doesn't make sense. And the fact that people think it does amazes me.